WHAT WOULD JARVIS DO? to Run at Omnibus Theatre
The absurdist play by Laura Grillo runs at the Omnibus Theatre in Clapham.
'What Would Jarvis Do?' is an experimental, absurdist, black comedy about fandom, grief, and the stories we attach to treasured objects. A playful exploration of what happens when the people and things we hold onto disappear - and how we might find a way forward.
Written by Laura Grillo and directed by Maiya Pascouche, following two sold-out development performances at Omnibus Theatre, the production returns to the venue for a two-week run with support from Arts Council England. Performances will run 6th – 16th October.
Didi and GG are best friends and super-fans of Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker. When a pair of yellow trousers, supposedly worn by the man himself, come up for auction through their wildly unconventional therapist, they empty their pockets to buy them. Only there's one problem. They might not be Jarvis's trousers at all…
Their subsequent search for the real trousers spirals into an increasingly surreal odyssey populated by eccentric strangers, impossible coincidences, and the unsettling feeling that they've been here before.
Inspired by writer Laura Grillo's own experiences of sudden loss and grief duing lockdown, the play is a tribute to hope, yearning, and the Britpop music that helped her find some light in the darkness.
With moments of repetition, restarting and looping in a world that both disintegrates and expands simultaneously, Didi and GG find themselves exploring their own wants and needs as they journey though the ever-shifitng environments, meeting increasingly eccentric strangers and trying to maintain the one goal they have set out to achieve.
A loving, funny tribute to Britpop, What Would Jarvis Do? is for those who remember the era first time around – and for everyone who has since discovered the particular charm of Jarvis Cocker, Pulp and a moment when Britain seemed bright with possibility. Through music, memory and a pair of possibly genuine yellow trousers, it looks back at what we hold onto when the world changes around us.
Ahead of the run, The Memory Lounge will bring together music, conversation and carefully chosen objects in a gathering inspired by the themes of What Would Jarvis Do?
Taking place on 24th September at Bobby Fitzpatrick (273 W End Ln, London NW6 1QS) The Memory Lounge is Part listening lounge, part social gathering and part playful installation, exploring memory, grief and nostalgia through music, objects and conversation. Guests will move through a collection of familiar and unexpected objects, spaces and invitations to play, from sleeping bags and dressing up clothes to old photographs, magazines and personal mementos, designed to trigger memories of their own.
A soundtrack drawing on 1990s Britpop and beyond will run through the evening, with DJ, J Hellfire (JPAC/Mechanoise/BreaksFm) taking over later in the night. Guests can listen, talk, have a drink or dance, while disposable cameras capture moments from the evening for an evolving archive. Everyone even leaves with a free Memory Lounge party bag.
Photo Credit: Alicia Bridge
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